Geodesy and Geoinformatics Engineering, B.Sc.
Geodesy is everywhere: in highly topical projects such as "autonomous driving", in the digital maps of Navis, in earth system research, where conclusions about the climate are drawn from satellite data, or in fascinating projects such as Google Earth and OpenStreetMap.
Geodesy is an engineering science with a strong interdisciplinary character, which moves in the field of activity between applied mathematics, computer science, physics and geosciences on the one hand and civil engineering, electrical engineering and mechanical engineering on the other.
Programme facts
| Degree | Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) |
|---|---|
| Duration | 6 semesters, 180 ECTS |
| Language of instruction | German |
| Required German | C1 |
| Study mode | Full-Time |
| Start | Winter semester |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.09 |
| Admission | No admission restriction: every eligible applicant is admitted |
| Tuition fee | €1,500 per semester for international students |
| Semester contribution | €184 per semester |
What the tuition fee consists of
Will I get in
Every applicant who meets the formal requirements is admitted — but places can run out before the deadline, so apply at the start of the window.
How the selection works and how strong the competition is — we go through it against your certificate when we select programmes for you.
Programme selection →About the programme
GPS satellites
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In modern geodesy, satellites are often used, for example for navigation systems such as GPS, but also for observing global phenomena on earth such as the rise in sea level or the melting of the polar ice caps.
Navigation sensors
In autonomous driving, the exact position and movement behavior of the vehicle must always be known. For example, satellite-based methods and inertial sensors are used for determination. The picture shows a test drive with a remote-controlled model car with built-in navigation sensors.
Excavator Control
The control of moving objects is used, for example, for the automated operation of construction machinery. The fully automatic execution of charging processes is implemented here. A model crawler loader on a scale of 1:14 is used as the object of investigation.
Deformation measurements
The observance of dimensions plays an important role in the construction of new buildings and objects. After production, this pavilion on the Stadtmitte campus was measured with a laser scanner and the result compared with the planned dimensions. From this it is derived which processes in construction need to be improved.
Change in ice mass in Antarctica
Geodesy deals with natural phenomena, e.g. in connection with climate change. The figure shows the change in ice mass in Antarctica. It was measured with satellites. Blue areas show mass loss, red areas mass increase.
Photogrammetry
In photogrammetry, geodesy is concerned with the generation of three-dimensional data from multiple overlapping images. In order for the calculated 3D coordinates to be accurate, the geometry of the camera used must be determined very precisely. This camera calibration is done here with our calibration field.
3D Data
An example of the result of a photogrammetric reconstruction is the shown 3D mesh of Stuttgart's Schlossplatz. For this purpose, photos were taken from an airplane. Such data is used, among other things, to create 3D city models.
Earth's gravitational field
The picture shows a superconducting gravimeter in an observatory in the Black Forest. The gravimeter is used to measure temporal changes in gravity with high precision. Even the influence of heavy rainfall on the Earth's gravity can be seen in the instrument's data.
What you study
In the first and second semester, the focus is on the basic modules of mathematics, physics and computer science. The basic modules provide the basics for the following (subject-specific) modules.
The full curriculum and the programme's parameters are part of programme selection: we compare them with your profile.
Pick programmesCareer
The increasing need for specially trained specialists offers excellent future prospects for graduates of geodesy and geoinformatics: The varied training means that the range of employment opportunities is very wide and varied. It includes, for example, areas of the automotive industry, robotics, software development as well as activities in planning and surveying offices.
Cost of study
| Tuition fee of the federal state (Baden-Württemberg), international students | €1,500 |
|---|---|
| Semester contribution | €184 |
Requirements and application
| Previous education | good knowledge of mathematics and physics a good spatial imagination Interest in technical and complex issues Fun Teamwork |
|---|---|
| Language | German C1 — confirmed by a certificate when you apply |
| Application | Directly to the university, winter semester until 15.09 |
The procedure and the set of documents depend on your certificate. We check the university's requirements against your documents and give you a list: what to submit, how to certify and translate it, where and when to apply.
Check the requirementsHow to get into this programme
- 1Check your certificate and its recognitionDirect admission, a year at a university at home, or Studienkolleg first — this decides the whole plan.
- 2German up to C1 and a certificateDSH or TestDaF has to be passed before you apply.
- 3Documents and translationsCertified translations of the certificate and transcript, an APS if required. 3–4 weeks.
- 4Application directly to the university until 15.09Send the documents well before the deadline — an incomplete application cannot be completed after it.
- 5Admission, visa, movingPlan 2–3 months for the visa and the blocked account in parallel.
How to apply
You can submit the application yourself or with our help — the university decides on admission in both cases.
Applications go through the university's portal or uni-assist. Typical mistakes:
- ×incorrectly made certified copies and translations
- ×a wrong set of documents
- ×the application submitted the wrong way
- ×errors or gaps in the application form
- ×the application submitted at the wrong time — too early or too late
An incomplete or incorrectly prepared application is excluded from the selection — it can no longer be corrected after the deadline.
StudyInFocus does not represent the university and does not influence the admission decision. We do not sell study places and do not guarantee admission — this is a service for preparing and submitting documents on the applicant's side.
If your level is not enough yet
The two most common stoppers are a language level below the requirement and a certificate without direct admission. Both can be solved, but they take months — plan them now, not after a rejection.
Questions about this programme
How much does the programme cost?
What language level do I need?
When do I need to apply?
Don't postpone the application
The deadline is 15.09.2027 (336 days left). Language, translations and the document check take months, not weeks. In 30 minutes we will build a plan backwards from the deadline and tell you honestly whether you can make it.